A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a target portion of a substrate. Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that circumstance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. comprising part of, one or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer) that has a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively exposed. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion in one go, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through the beam in a given direction (the “scanning”-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.
Lithography is widely recognized as one of the key steps in the manufacture of ICs and other devices and/or structures. However, as the dimensions of features made using lithography become smaller, lithography is becoming a more critical factor for enabling miniature IC or other devices and/or structures to be manufactured.
A theoretical estimate of the limits of pattern printing can be given by the Rayleigh criterion for resolution as shown in equation (1):
                              C          ⁢                                          ⁢          D                =                              k            1                    *                      λ                          N              ⁢                                                          ⁢              A                                                          (        1        )            where λ is the wavelength of the radiation used, NA is the numerical aperture of the projection system used to print the pattern, k1 is a process dependent adjustment factor, also called the Rayleigh constant, and CD is the feature size (or critical dimension) of the printed feature. It follows from equation (1) that reduction of the minimum printable size of features can be obtained in three ways: by shortening the exposure wavelength λ, by increasing the numerical aperture NA or by decreasing the value of k1.
In order to shorten the exposure wavelength and, thus reduce the minimum printable size, it has been proposed to use an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source. EUV radiation is electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength within the range of 5-20 nm, for example within the range of 13-14 nm, for example within the range of 5-10 nm such as 6.7 nm or 6.8 nm. Possible sources include, for example, laser-produced plasma sources, discharge plasma sources, or sources based on synchrotron radiation provided by an electron storage ring.
EUV radiation may be produced using a plasma. A radiation system for producing EUV radiation may include a laser for exciting a fuel to provide the plasma, and a source collector module for containing the plasma. The plasma may be created, for example, by directing a laser beam at a fuel, such as droplets of a suitable material (e.g. tin), or a stream of a suitable gas or vapor, such as Xe gas or Li vapor. The resulting plasma emits output radiation, e.g. EUV radiation, which is collected using a radiation collector. The radiation collector may be a mirrored normal incidence radiation collector, which receives the radiation and focuses the radiation into a beam. The source collector module may include an enclosing structure or chamber arranged to provide a vacuum environment to support the plasma. Such a radiation system is typically termed a laser produced plasma (LPP) source.
Fuel droplets are generated by means of a fuel droplet generator. For example fuel droplets may be emitted from a capillary tube under the control of a piezo-electric element. For optimum performance it is important that the fuel droplets coalesce into droplets of the correct size for plasma formation and one known problem is that small droplet satellites may also be formed as a result of non-optimal droplet coalescence. Typically the fuel droplets may have a diameter of around 30 microns whereas the satellite droplets may have a diameter of around 6 nm. These sizes may of course vary but give an indication of the relative sizes of regular fuel droplets and unwanted satellite droplets. The presence of such satellite droplets may interfere with the generation of EUV radiation and may reduce the performance of the EUV source. A further disadvantage of the presence of such satellite droplets is that if the EUV source includes a laser in master oscillator power (MOPA) configuration the satellite droplets may cause unwanted EUV generation by firing between droplets
In order to minimise the formation of satellite droplets the operational parameters of the fuel droplet generator shoud be carefully controlled. However, it is found that adjusting the necessary parameters of the fuel droplet generator during operation is a very time consuming process. Furthermore the need to adjust the parameters of the fuel droplet generator may only become apparent when a fall-off in performance has already taken place and wafers have already been wasted owing to an inadequate exposure.